The luxe yet casual vibe of the collection was highlighted by the breezy styling.
'Karl who?" In fashion circles, it's a given who Karl is. But in this playful French resort town, where reverence has no rules, expensive T-shirts emblazoned with those very words are cheekily displayed in the window of at least one little boutique.
Karl Lagerfeld, one of St. Tropez's most illustrious part-time residents, has a long-standing affinity for these parts: It's where he spent much of his youth. "And if you've ever seen that classic fifties photo of Karl on the beach, wearing that sexy maillot, you can understand exactly why this place is so special to him," notes André Leon Talley. The larger-than-life Vogue editor was one of about 300 members of the media and guests who descended on St. Tropez this week for a spectacular port-side showing of Chanel's latest cruise collection.
The tone for the show was set the night before with the premiere screening of Lagerfeld's new 17-minute film, entitled Remember Now. Famous for never looking back, the designer dreamed up a modern-day salute to the hedonistic lifestyle this place is legendary for; it stars famed French actor Pascal Greggory and a cast of red-hot models, It girls and Lagerfeld's 21-year-old male muse, the gorgeous Baptiste Giabiconi. Shot in part at Lagerfeld's own villa in nearby Ramatuelle in a mere three days, the short film revolves around a successful, dashing older man who connects with a gorgeous young woman (played by Elisa Sednaoui). They wind up at the wasted aftermath of a sexually charged soirée. A great way to show off fabulous party clothes, the film also makes Lagerfeld's point about life belonging to the young. "Youth is a lease that's not renewable," remarks one of the characters in the film.
"This film is all me," Lagerfeld proudly explained on his way out of the theatre. The 70-something designer even makes a cameo in the film, which, he hinted, might be a harbinger of bigger cinematic projects he would like to tackle.
"He's a great director," said Leigh Lezark, the raven-haired female member of New York-based DJ trio the Misshapes. "He's so easy and fun to work with, and he always knows exactly what he wants," she added, referring to her casting by Lagerfeld as a young Coco Chanel in the film's opening scene.
The seasoned Greggory concurred. "I think he really has a great eye. If Tom Ford can make a great feature film, why shouldn't Karl be able to one day? He's a true artist, with a strong vision, and he's very sensitive to people," he said.
The night of the film's premiere culminated with a grand celebration at Place des Lices, where celebs including actress Diane Kruger and her boyfriend, Canadian actor Joshua Jackson, joined Lagerfeld and members of the international press in a game of pétanque, France's answer to bocce. It highlighted the town's lighthearted spirit, which continued down at the port the following evening when Chanel presented its 2011 vision of what the beautiful people ought to be wearing on holiday next year.
Presented in front of the famed Sénéquier café, directly across from an endless row of gleaming yachts, the luxurious spectacle attracted a flurry of international editors, journalists, celebrities and moneyed friends of the house, who were seated on bright red director's chairs. Natasha Poly, Karolina Kurkova, Jacquetta Wheeler, Crystal Renn and Mick's youngest daughter, Georgia May Jagger, 18, were among the high-profile models conscripted to show the collection. From flowing psychedelic-print pastel chiffon dresses to vibrant crocheted pant ensembles and jumpsuits to sparkling little signature tweed jackets, there was an appealing air of casual chic to the presentation that felt very seventies - and very accessible.
The finale saw Georgia May Jagger roaring down the runway on the back of a big motorbike to the sound of the Stones' Let's Spend the Night Together. It was another effective Lagerfeld effort at time travel, giving a nod to the past, celebrating the here and now and fearlessly forging into the future. "Karl is just so clear about everything," said brand ambassador Vanessa Paradis. "That's why he's so brilliant at what he does."
"I find the lifestyle here to be very inspiring. It keeps one young," Lagerfeld commented post show. "And I've always loved the light in St. Tropez. It's very magical."
The magic continued into the wee hours with an after party at VIP Room, one of the designer's favourite local haunts and also a location in his film. As if on cue, everyone let our hair down, tripping the light fantastic to the electro-pop beat. "This is what is so great about what Karl does for Chanel," said Teen Vogue's Andrew Bevan, having just seen his first Chanel show. "He offers something for every age, from 16 to 86. He'll show a little tweed jacket over a gold bikini top. That's the way the teenage girl might wear it. But her grandmother can always just go for the jacket."
And was the St. Tropez nightlife agreeing with the young editor? "Well, we're planning on going on all night, so I'll let you know!" he laughed.
I was momentarily miffed at the assumption that I wouldn't be up for all-night carousing, but I quickly snapped back to reality, sensibly returning to my hotel well before the sun came up.
According to Lagerfeld, my "lease" might have expired a while ago, but at least his house provided me with plenty of fodder for dreaming about the good life on the Riviera, even if I couldn't live every last minute of it.
Jeanne Beker is the host of FashionTelevision.